Modi pitches India as affordable AI hub at summit, drawing $200 billion in investments
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Modi Touts India as Hub for Affordable AI at New Delhi Summit
Several major companies announced billions of dollars in AI-related investments at the summit, with more than $200 billion in AI investments expected over the next two years, according to Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented India as a hub for affordable and
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Bill Gates' foundation says sudden withdrawal was 'to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities' | Fortune
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched India as a central player in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem, saying the country aims to build technology at home while deploying it worldwide. "Design and develop in India. Deliver to the world. Deliver to humanity," Modi told a
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What are world and tech leaders saying at the India AI summit?
World leaders want to regulate AI -- but they can't agree on how. Here is everything that is being said. World and technology leaders are gathering in India for the annual global AI summit, which aims to establish a unified framework for artificial intelligence (AI) governance and international
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At AI summit, Prime Minister Modi pitches India as global hub for artificial intelligence
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called for inclusivity in the artificial intelligence sphere. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched India as a central player in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem, saying the country aims to build technology at home while
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Modi Pitches India as Global Artificial Intelligence Hub at AI Summit
NEW DELHI (AP) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched India as a central player in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem, saying the country aims to build technology at home while deploying it worldwide. "Design and develop in India. Deliver to the world. Deliver to
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India's tech infra as public good can be emulated for AI across Global South, says ITU official
New Delhi: India deploying its massive technological infrastructure like Aadhaar and UPI as a public good instead of a for-profit commercial service serves as a highly replicable playbook for the Global South to drive AI diffusion, Fred Werner, chief of strategic engagement at UN International
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India to focus on providing affordable compute capacity to all: Statistics Secretary Saurabh Garg
India is prioritizing equitable access to affordable computing capacity for AI development through a collaborative model involving government, philanthropists, and the private sector. The focus is on intelligent prioritization rather than rationing, aiming to ensure AI benefits all and fosters
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Affordable Compute to All forms India's Foundation for Growing AI Use
The focus is on how innovation can bring about a digital public infrastructure that can deliver AI benefits at population scale India's is seeking to explore ways to generate an equitable transformation of society at large through artificial intelligence (AI) use. The idea is to create a model
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India's AI legacy: Leadership, youth power and a bold civilisational vision
India is integrating AI into its core economic systems, moving beyond policy to practical application. Leveraging its vast digital infrastructure, young talent, and democratic governance, the nation aims for productivity gains. India's artificial intelligence ambitions are moving from policy
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Global leaders recognize India's growing role in steering AI for all
Tech leaders and policymakers, at the India AI Summit in New Delhi on Thursday, acknowledged India's growing role in the AI ecosystem and its commitment to making AI more inclusive. In a landmark move, 12 leading global and Indian AI firms signed the New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments to
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AI on 'Open Networks' can allow innovation at scale: Nandan Nilekani
At the India AI Summit 2026, Nandan Nilekani and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw emphasized that AI can deliver population-scale impact only when built on open, interoperable Digital Public Infrastructure like the Unified Payments Interface. Nilekani highlighted AI agents that remove complexity and enable
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Design, Develop in India, Deliver to World: Modi
India has the core attributes of diversity, demography and democracy, as well as a robust, resilient and secure ecosystem that make it an ideal choice for building artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday while delivering his inaugural address at the
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'After World War II..., AI will shape the new world order': PM Modi at AI Impact Summit
Making a pitch for democratising AI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled the 'MANAV' vision for a human-centric approach and use of the fast emerging technology with a strong accent on sovereignty and inclusivity. Inaugurating the AI Impact Summit here, he said India believes that
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Experts at India AI Impact Summit urge compute parity and data sovereignty, amid access barriers for SMEs
On the third day of the India AI Impact Summit, held on February 18, experts discussed how SMEs can better access AI, while also sharing critical perspectives on striking the balance between sovereignty and protectionism. From God to kerosene and Exoskeletons, here's how the experts decoded AI's
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India can lead the way in showing how AI can address the great challenges of our time: Rishi Sunak
Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday placed India at the centre of the global artificial intelligence transition, saying the country's scale of digital adoption, optimism toward emerging technologies and rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem make it a decisive force in determining how
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India can become one of the world's most consequential AI environments: Wipro's Rishad Premji
India has the opportunity to become one of the world's most consequential environments for AI application but the country's advantage will be defined by the choices it makes regarding where to apply, diffuse and responsibly deploy the new wave of technology to translate capability into real impact,
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India key global proving ground for industrialising AI 'extraordinary scale': Kyndryl Chairman
India AI Summit: Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has recognised AI as a strategic national priority, building policy and digital and talent foundations needed to support innovation and again at scale, Kyndryl Chairman & CEO Martin Schroeter said. New Delhi: India is a key global
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AI Summit: PM Modi pushes three-point agenda for responsible AI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented three crucial ideas for responsible artificial intelligence at the AI Summit 2026. He emphasized data sovereignty, transparent safety rules, and human-centric guidelines. Modi stated that ethical norms must expand alongside AI's growing potential for unethical
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Humans shouldn't remain a data point for AI, need to be in control: PM Modi - The Economic Times
Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit, the PM said humans should not remain "just a data point", and that AI has to become a platform of inclusivity, especially for the Global South. "We have to give AI the open sky, but also have to keep the command in our hands. Like GPS shows us the way, but
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Humans and AI will 'co-create and co-work': PM Narendra Modi at India AI Impact Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sees a future where humans and AI work together. He believes artificial intelligence will make workers smarter and more effective. The Prime Minister compared AI's potential to the internet's impact, predicting new job opportunities. He stressed the importance of
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AI Summit 2026: 'A turning point in human history,' Modi says as humanity reaches its next big shift
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proclaimed that artificial intelligence is a landmark achievement for humanity, drawing parallels to historic innovations such as fire and the advent of wireless communication. He articulated the diverse applications of AI within India -- from optimising
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AI Impact Summit: PM Modi to deliver keynote address on global AI vision today
PM Narendra Modi is set to welcome world leaders at Bharat Mandapam today as part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. According to the official schedule, a family photo featuring the Prime Minister and the visiting global dignitaries will be taken at approximately 09:15 am, marking a significant
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India AI Impact Summit 2026: PM Modi welcomes world leaders at Bharat Mandapam
New Delhi is hosting the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed global leaders in technology and policymaking. Dignitaries from Spain, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, Finland, Sri Lanka, Estonia, Mauritius, Bhutan, Seychelles, Netherlands, Greece, and Croatia attended. The summit
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My vision for AI is sovereignty, inclusivity, innovation: PM Narendra Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said his vision of Artificial Intelligence in a self-reliant India is sovereignty, inclusivity and innovation even as he underlined that India should establish itself among the top three globally in consumption and creation of AI. In an interview to news
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Intelligence, rationality make technology useful: PM Modi on public interest focus of AI Impact Summit
In a post on X, the Prime Minister stated, "Intelligence, rationality and decision-making make science and technology useful to the masses. The India AI Impact Summit also aims to see how AI can be used in the public interest. Service, hearing, grasping and holding. Delusion and delusion, knowledge
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India AI Impact Summit 2026, PM Narendra Modi backs AI as a job creator, not a job killer
The remarks aim to shift the AI debate from job loss fears to long-term opportunity and workforce transformation. Along with the MANAV Vision for AI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed some optimism about the future of artificial intelligence. During his speech at the India AI Impact Summit
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India AI Impact Summit 2026: PM Narendra Modi announces MANAV Vision for ethical, human-centric AI
Modi said AI should empower people, protect children, and support inclusive growth, especially helping developing countries and the Global South. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled what he called the "MANAV Vision" for AI at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, giving India's aspirations in the
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India AI Impact Summit: PM Modi says intelligence and wisdom must guide AI for society's benefit
The Prime Minister also welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron, signalling stronger strategic cooperation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has underlined the need for intelligence along with rational thinking and sound decision making to ensure that AI serves the larger good of the society.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi positioned India as a hub for affordable and scalable artificial intelligence at the India AI Summit in New Delhi. The event drew over a dozen heads of state and tech executives, with more than $200 billion in AI investments expected over the next two years. The summit faced organizational challenges and a surprise withdrawal by Bill Gates, but showcased India's ambition to bridge advanced economies and the Global South in AI development.
India Positions Itself as Cost-Effective AI Powerhouse
Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the India AI Summit in New Delhi to assert India's role in the global artificial intelligence landscape, presenting the nation as a hub for affordable and scalable AI innovation. "Design and develop in India. Deliver to the world, deliver to humanity," Modi told the gathering of world leaders, technology executives, and policymakers at what organizers billed as the largest AI conference held in a developing nation
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. The event gave Modi a platform to challenge the AI race largely dominated by the US and China, showcasing India's vast, tech-savvy population and deep engineering talent as evidence that it can offer an alternative to AI models shaped by major global technology firms1
.Massive AI Investments Signal Industry Confidence
Several major companies announced billions of dollars in AI investments in India during the summit. Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that more than $200 billion in AI investments are expected over the next two years
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. In one of the largest deals unveiled, OpenAI partnered with Indian conglomerate Tata Group to build a data center starting at 100 megawatts of capacity, with plans to scale up to 1 gigawatt—a facility that can cost between $35 billion and $50 billion at the upper end1
. Billionaire Gautam Adani's group also announced plans to invest $100 billion by 2035 to build AI-ready data centers, underscoring the scale of private-sector backing for Modi's ambition1
. These investments build on earlier commitments from Microsoft's $17.5 billion investment over four years, Google's $15 billion over five years, and Amazon's $35 billion pledge by 20305
.Democratization of AI Emerges as Central Theme
Modi emphasized the need to democratize AI, stating that "some countries and companies think AI is a strategic asset. But India believes AI will be helpful for the world only if shared, and codes are open"
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Source: ET
This vision resonated with other speakers at the summit. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for a $3 billion fund to help poorer countries build basic AI capacity, including skills, data access, and affordable computing power. "The future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries, or left to the whims of a few billionaires," Guterres said, stressing that AI must "belong to everyone"
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. India is using the summit to position itself as a bridge between advanced economies and the Global South, with Indian officials citing the country's digital ID and online payments systems as a model for deploying AI at low cost, particularly in developing countries5
.Global Leaders Debate AI Governance and Cooperation
Over a dozen heads of state, including leaders from France and Brazil, attended the summit this week, along with top executives from AI heavyweights such as OpenAI, Alphabet Inc., and Anthropic PBC
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Source: ET
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke before Modi, highlighting India's AI advances and their potential to transform sectors ranging from agriculture and healthcare to transportation. "The Indian model is truly revolutionary, providing solutions for everyone in the country," Macron said about India's digital journey, citing examples from 200 million Indian farmers receiving advice in their own dialect to AI diagnostics for rural clinics
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. Macron also vowed to protect children from "digital abuse" during France's presidency of the G7 and defended Europe's approach to AI regulation, saying "Europe is a space for innovation and investment, but it is a safe space, and safe spaces win in the long run"3
. OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman said the world should "urgently" regulate AI, warning that centralizing the technology in one company or country "could lead to ruin" .Related Stories
Homegrown Innovation and Sovereign AI Models
Modi's remarks came amid a broader push to spur homegrown innovation. A day earlier, Bengaluru-based startup Sarvam AI unveiled a model it said is better tailored to India's diverse languages and cultural contexts than tools such as ChatGPT and Claude
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Source: ET
The government has been promoting sovereign AI models and encouraging makers to roll out services locally. "India has diversity, demography, as well as democracy. Whichever AI model succeeds in India, that can be deployed globally," Modi said in his speech
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. With nearly 1 billion internet users, India has become a key market for global technology companies expanding their AI businesses5
. However, the country still lags in developing its own large-scale AI model like U.S.-based OpenAI or China's DeepSeek, highlighting challenges such as limited access to advanced semiconductor chips, data centers, and hundreds of local languages to learn from5
.Summit Faces Organizational Challenges and High-Profile Withdrawal
The summit opened Monday with organizational glitches, as attendees and exhibitors reported long lines and delays, and some complained on social media that personal belongings and display items had been stolen, though organizers later said the items were recovered
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. Problems resurfaced Wednesday when a private Indian university was expelled from the summit after a staff member showcased a commercially available Chinese-made robotic dog while claiming it as the institution's own innovation2
. The setbacks continued Thursday when Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates withdrew from a scheduled keynote address. No reason was given, though the Gates Foundation said the move was intended "to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities"2
. The Bill Gates withdrawal came as he faces questions over his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein . Despite these challenges, the summit succeeded in drawing attention to India's ambitions and sparked important conversations about AI governance and cooperation, AI capacity building, and ensuring AI for Global South nations remains accessible and inclusive.References
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